Open For Business

What happens when you take Netflix, throw in some Disney, sprinkle in some YouTube Kids, and curate it Muslim children - well you get Durioo+ - a Malaysian video streaming startup that’s gotten quite a bit of investor attention, including from the famed Y Combinator.A year after their launch, they’ve raised US$2.85 million (RM12.5 million) in a seed round led by Y Combinator and Gobi Partners and backed by those funds, Durioo aims to hit 100,000 subscribers in 2023 and 1 million by 2026. Today on Open for Business, Durioo’s Founder and CEO Sinan Ismail joins Roshan Kanesan in the studio to chat about hitting those goals, the challenges ahead, the path to unicorn status, and the story behind their drastic pivot in 2020 due to YouTube’s policy changes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2013, Eaugene Eau and Fion Tan, a husband-and-wife duo, had an idea to help modern women feel confident by creating Shapee modern shapewear. In September 2016, they made the decision to introduce nursing and maternity items with the goal of bringing joy, innovation, and information through every motherhood journey after thoroughly understanding breastfeeding mothers. Shapee has successfully entered more than 100 independent and chain baby stores in Malaysia as of the end of 2017. Today, we will be speaking to the founders of Shapee. Photo Credits: VulcanPostSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With so many languages in the world - more than seven thousand to be exact - how can we still communicate effectively? Langwords is a language service provider startup based in Penang, Malaysia, that provides language solutions in more than 50 languages. Co-founders of Langwords, Joy Ooi and Yin Ooi share what it is like to run a business housing translators and transcribersPhoto Credits: Shuttershock | pathdocSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysian based venture capital firm, Ficus Capital, recently announced its intent to continue investing in Malaysian and South East Asian startups with global growth potential. With its flagship RM60 million fund, Ficus SEA, the world’s first shariah compliant venture capitalist is looking for revolutionary, sustainable and purpose-driven startups that are bringing impact to the environment, social and governance (ESG) in a sustainable way.It recently invested US400,000 in Assemblr, Indonesia’s revolutionary augmented reality platform company that helps users to create AR content via its web-based platform. Today, we will be speaking to Hasbi Asyadiq, CEO of Assemblr.Photo Credits: Facebook | Assemblr WorldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know that ‘Everything, Everywhere, All At Once’ was filmed in 10 locations in California, while ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ was shot at at least 16 locations, spanning three states in Malaysia and seven buildings in Singapore. With more content producers filling the market, video production and film-making is quickly becoming mainstream. As of February 2022, there are 30.25 million active social media users in Malaysia alone. These active social media users actively consume and create their own content, some of which eventually become micro influencers. These spell a huge door of opportunity for Malaysian home, building, land, retail and commercial property owners to list and potentially earn an income stream from leasing their sites for content creators.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fi Life started in 2018 after acquiring the life insurance distribution business of U For Life, Malaysia's first direct-to-consumer online life insurance service. 5 years on, Fi Life is no longer just a distributor, now building and distributing their own life, total and permanent disability, critical illness and accidental death insurance products. We speak to Fi Life Founder Malek Ali about the journey of the last 5 years, the challenges building an insurtech startup, and what lies ahead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Making an Indonesian Layer Cake is no small feat, and crafting the 18 layers is, for some, a work of art. It’s also a way for some people to stay bonded to their homeland. Ambon Boenda believes in keeping with the tradition, authenticity and the continuity of layer cake recipes passed down from generation to generation. Linda Lo, the founder and director of Ambon Boenda shares the layers of love with us.Photo Credits: Shuttershock | Jacob LundSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recommend.my is a platform for locating and hiring Malaysia's service experts to provide home maintenance and cleaning services on demand since 2014. We speak with Lua Jes Min, CEO and Co-Founder of Recommend.my, to know more about how they integrate technology to match service experts to their customers. Photo Credits: Shuttershock | Andrew AngelovSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Goodday recently concluded Malaysia’s biggest kid-preneur programme KidStart. The competition’s main objective is to encourage financial literacy and entrepreneurship among Malaysian children. 10-year-old Fatimah Basyeera won the programme with her stroke recovery software application, while Ong Joon Zach is the runner-up with his coconut extractor idea CocoCool. They discuss what their steps are moving forward.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysians are still wasting plenty of food, despite having to fork out more money for meals nowadays. According to the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp), in 2021, Malaysians generated 17,007 tonnes of food waste per day in 2021 – enough to fill one-and-a-half Olympic-sized swimming pools. Sean Tan, CEO of Insect Feed Technologies discovered how to utilise technology to rear and breed the black soldier fly to be incorporated in upcycling food waste. Through an in-house proprietary treatment, the team then translates black soldier fly larvae into a sustainable and healthier alternative for animal feed, and replaces chemical fertilisers for plants.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.